VADODARA/ AHMEDABAD: If the heat is back with a bang, so is the coolant. For ice cream makers it can’t get hot enough this summer as the sales chart has already busted pre-Covid levels. And it’s mid-March only. Going by this trend, the ice cream sales this summer are expected to shatter all previous records. The tasteless past two years owing to lockdown and fears pushed ice cream out of flavour and sales dipped to an all-time low, registering a drop of almost 85%. “However, in the first 15 days of March itself, Amul’s ice cream sales have tripled compared to financial year 2020,” R S Sodhi, managing director of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), told TOI. Sodhi said, “We are not even considering the past two years when it comes to ice cream sales.” Amul, which enjoys a 41% share in India’s organized ice cream market estimated to be around Rs 4,000 crore, will rely only on in-house consumption in the summer of 2020. “The ice cream segment is driven by in-house consumption, out-of-home consumption, and the HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and catering) segment. Both out-of-home consumption and the HoReCa segment were impacted due to restrictions imposed because of Covid-19,” he said. The re-introduction of curbs in the summer of 2021 threatened to throw cold water on ice cream manufacturers’ joy after the sales started to plummet yet again, but the recent easing of restrictions has revived hopes. Lifting the night curfew was the candy on top of the sundae for ice cream sales. “With no curfew totally, there is truly a positive sentiment among people who are venturing out at peace in the night and enjoying ice cream with their loved ones,” said Pradeep Chona, who founded Huber and Holly brand of ice creams in Ahmedabad. He added that the brand suffered hefty losses over the past couple of years but is hopeful of sweetening the bitter past with a good recovery this year. “Footfalls have already started since mid-February when the weather had just begun to warm up. With Covid-19 cases receding, people have also mostly shed their inhibitions of getting a sore throat or cold from indulging in ice cream. If such a trend remains, we comfortably expect to clock pre-pandemic sales volumes,” said Parth Patel, a fourth-generation entrepreneur of an Ahmedabad-based local ice cream brand.
VADODARA/ AHMEDABAD: If the heat is back with a bang, so is the coolant. For ice cream makers it can’t get hot enough this summer as the sales chart has already busted pre-Covid levels. And it’s mid-March only. Going by this trend, the ice cream sales this summer are expected to shatter all previous records. The tasteless past two years owing to lockdown and fears pushed ice cream out of flavour and sales dipped to an all-time low, registering a drop of almost 85%. “However, in the first 15 days of March itself, Amul’s ice cream sales have tripled compared to financial year 2020,” R S Sodhi, managing director of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), told TOI. Sodhi said, “We are not even considering the past two years when it comes to ice cream sales.” Amul, which enjoys a 41% share in India’s organized ice cream market estimated to be around Rs 4,000 crore, will rely only on in-house consumption in the summer of 2020. “The ice cream segment is driven by in-house consumption, out-of-home consumption, and the HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and catering) segment. Both out-of-home consumption and the HoReCa segment were impacted due to restrictions imposed because of Covid-19,” he said. The re-introduction of curbs in the summer of 2021 threatened to throw cold water on ice cream manufacturers’ joy after the sales started to plummet yet again, but the recent easing of restrictions has revived hopes. Lifting the night curfew was the candy on top of the sundae for ice cream sales. “With no curfew totally, there is truly a positive sentiment among people who are venturing out at peace in the night and enjoying ice cream with their loved ones,” said Pradeep Chona, who founded Huber and Holly brand of ice creams in Ahmedabad. He added that the brand suffered hefty losses over the past couple of years but is hopeful of sweetening the bitter past with a good recovery this year. “Footfalls have already started since mid-February when the weather had just begun to warm up. With Covid-19 cases receding, people have also mostly shed their inhibitions of getting a sore throat or cold from indulging in ice cream. If such a trend remains, we comfortably expect to clock pre-pandemic sales volumes,” said Parth Patel, a fourth-generation entrepreneur of an Ahmedabad-based local ice cream brand.
Vadodara/ Ahmedabad: If the heat is back with a bang, so is the coolant. For ice cream makers it can’t get hot enough this summer as the sales chart has already busted pre-Covid levels. And it’s mid-March only. Going by this trend, the ice cream sales this summer are expected to shatter all previous records. The tasteless past two years owing to pandemic-induced lockdown and fears pushed ice cream out of flavour and sales dipped to an all-time low, registering a drop of almost 85%. “However, in the first 15 days of March itself, Amul’s ice cream sales have tripled compared to financial year 2020,” R S Sodhi, managing director of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), told TOI. Sodhi said, “We are not even considering the past two years when it comes to ice cream sales.” Amul, which enjoys a 41% share in India’s organized ice cream market estimated to be around Rs 4,000 crore, will rely only on in-house consumption in the summer of 2020. “The ice cream segment is driven by in-house consumption, out-of-home consumption, and the HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and catering) segment. Both out-of-home consumption and the HoReCa segment were impacted due to restrictions imposed because of Covid-19,” he said. The re-introduction of curbs in the summer of 2021 threatened to throw cold water on ice cream manufacturers’ joy after the sales started to plummet yet again, but the recent easing of restrictions has revived hopes. Lifting the night curfew was the candy on top of the sundae for ice cream sales. “With no curfew totally, there is truly a positive sentiment among people who are venturing out at peace in the night and enjoying ice cream with their loved ones,” said Pradeep Chona, who founded Huber and Holly brand of ice creams in Ahmedabad. He added that the brand suffered hefty losses over the past couple of years but is hopeful of sweetening the bitter past with a good recovery this year. “Footfalls have already started since mid-February when the weather had just begun to warm up. With Covid-19 cases receding, people have also mostly shed their inhibitions of getting a sore throat or cold from indulging in ice cream. If such a trend remains, we comfortably expect to clock pre-pandemic sales volumes,” said Parth Patel, a fourth-generation entrepreneur of an Ahmedabad-based local ice cream brand.
With a drastic decline in coronavirus cases, the State government has announced lifting of night curfew in Ahmedabad and Vadodara cities from February 25, a statement from the government said on Thursday.Curfew was in force from 12 midnight to 5am in Ahmedabad and Vadodara as part of restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus. From Friday, there will be no restrictions on movement in these two cities even at night.Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel took the decision after reviewing the situation, officials said.Meanwhile, as per the new guidelines, religious, educational, political and social functions including marriages can be organised in open spaces with 75 per cent capacity, while in closed premises like halls it would be with 50 per cent capacity.Those engaged in commercial activities, such as shopkeepers and their employees, will be mandated to have taken two doses of anti-coronavirus vaccines.Face masks and social distancing continue to be a must at public places, the statement added.
GANDHINAGAR: With the number of new Covid-19 cases seeing a marked decrease, the Gujarat government revised its Covid-19 guidelines by removing the mandated night curfew from Ahmedabad and Vadodara. The state home department issued a notification on Thursday, removing night curfew from Ahmedabad and Vadodara. The new guidelines come into force on Friday, February 25. The notification stays in force till March 1. All other guidelines remain unchanged, the notification said. Earlier, the government removed the night curfew in a phased manner - first from 19 towns and then the six cities of Surat, Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Junagadh. With night curfew removed from Ahmedabad and Vadodara with effect from Friday, all cities are now free of night curfew. The government has not changed other restrictions. All types of political, social (including weddings), educational, sports and religious activities can be held at 75% capacity of plots if held in the open. If held in closed premises such as auditoriums or halls, a maximum of 50% of capacity can be filled.
Ahmedabad, Feb 24 (PTI) Following a sharp drop in new coronavirus cases, the Gujarat government has decided to lift night curfew in Ahmedabad and Vadodara cities from February 25, an official release said here on Thursday.Ahmedabad and Vadodara were the only two cities where curfew between 12 midnight and 5 am was in force until now as part of restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus.From Friday, there will be no restrictions on movement in these two cities even at night.The decision was taken by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel after reviewing the situation, officials said.Further, as per the new guidelines, all kinds of religious, educational, political and social functions including marriages can be organized in open places with 75 per cent capacity, and with 50 per cent capacity in closed premises (such as halls).It is mandatory for people engaged in commercial activities, such as shopkeepers and their employees, to have taken two doses of anti-coronavirus vaccines.Face masks and social distancing will remain mandatory at public places, the release said. PTI PJT PD KRK KRK KRKYour support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.
Ahmedabad: The police on Saturday arrested a man who fixed a red-and-blue beacon on his car to roam about in the city during curfew hours. The beacon is used by emergency services such as police, ambulances, fire services etc…An FIR has been filed with the Nikol police. The police spotted the car when they were checking vehicles at Nikol-Kathwada Road during curfew hours on Saturday night, reported The Times Of India.After spotting car with the beacon, the police asked the driver to stop the vehicle. When they checked the vehicle, they found the beacon which the driver had fixed to roam freely during curfew hours.The man has been identified as Rupesh Barot (26), a resident of Singarwa. Upon checking, he failed to produce any permit to show that he had the license to keep or use the beacon. Upon questioning, he told the police that he kept the beacon and posed as a policeman so that he could roam freely during curfew hours.The police have registered a complaint against him under the charges of violation of curfew notification and impersonation. An investigation in the case is underway.RELATED NEWS Ahmedabad: Three men held for kidnapping, raping friend’s 14-year-old nieceAhmedabad: Sex racket operating under guise of running spa at Vastrapur busted; owner on the run2008 Ahmedabad bombings: Gujarat court convicts 49 accused, acquits 28 others
Ahmedabad: A man who wanted to roam in the city during curfew hours, fixed a red-and-blue beacon used by cops on his car, but landed in police lock-up on Saturday.According to an FIR filed with Nikol police, the cops stationed at Nikol-Kathwada Road were checking vehicles during curfew hours on Saturday night. At that time, they spotted a car with the red-and-blue beacon on it. The police asked the driver to stop the vehicle. When the cops checked the car, they found the police beacon, which the drived had installed to move freely during the curfew hours. The man identified as Rupesh Barot, 26, a resident of Singarwa, could not produce any permit to show that he had the licence to keep the beacon. In the primary questioning, he told the cops that he wanted to roam in the night, posing as a policeman.Nikol police registered a complaint of violation of curfew notification and impersonation against Barot and began an investigation.
With Covid cases dipping significantly, the state government on Thursday further relaxed Covid night curfew regulations. After more than a month of curfew timings from 10 pm to 6 am, the curfew will now be from 12 midnight to 5 am till February 18. Moreover, curfew will be in force in just eight municipal corporation areas. Earlier, on January 7 the state government had imposed curfew from 10 pm to 6 am. This was done as the cases increased during the third wave. The curfew was imposed in 28 cities and towns.This week the government also decided to start offline classes in schools and colleges.President of Hotel and Restaurant Association, Gujarat, Narendra Somani said, “We are happy with the Gujarat government notification on reducing curfew timings. This will allow 10,000 restaurants and hotels in the city to do business well and help them manage their overhead expenses like property rentals. It will also boost confidence of food lovers to visit eateries without fear.”Dilip Thakkar, Co founder of Food entrepreneurs Alliance, said, “The relaxation in curfew timings will not only help restaurants and hotels, it will also allow the citizens to relish food with friends and family at ease.”Gujarat reports 2,275 new Covid casesMeanwhile, the number of Covid cases continued to fall on Thursday. The state reported 2,275 new cases against 2,560 on Wednesday and 2,502 on Tuesday.Ahmedabad city reported 700 new cases, followed by 292 cases in Vadodara city. There were 99 in rural Vadodara and 96 in Mehsana, 91 in Gandhinagar city and 90 in Banaskantha. Other districts reported fewer than 90 cases.Gujarat on Thursday reported 21 official Covid deaths, slightly fewer than 24 the previous day.
Gandhinagar: Following a marked reduction in new Covid-19 cases reported, the Gujarat government relaxed night curfews in the eight major cities of the state, including Ahmedabad. Instead of 10pm to 6am, night curfew will now be in force from midnight to 5am in these cities. On Thursday, 2,275 new Covid cases were registered in the state.The core committee also decided to do away with the night curfew altogether in 19 other towns and cities.After cases began rising in December,the government imposed curfew in 17 towns including Surendranagar, Dhrangradhra, Morbi, Wankaner, Dhoraji, Gondal, Jetpur, Kalawad, Godhra, Vijalpore, Navsari, Bilimora, Vyarav, Vyapar, Bharuch and Ankleshwar.The new regulations will remain come into force from Friday and are valid till February 18, a government notification issued on Thursday said.All other Covid-19 regulations have remain unchanged. These include regulations for commercial establishments, attendance at weddings, last rites and political, social, educational and religious functions.The home department notification said public transport can ply at 75% capacity and cinema halls, gyms, swimming pools, water parks, libraries, auditoriums and assembly halls can operate at 50% capacity. Like earlier, parks and gardens will remain open till 10pm.The notification said educational institutions can operate according to guidelines issued by the education department.
Surat: A newlywed couple and their seven family members were arrested in Valsad onTuesday for allegedly breaching the night curfew restrictionswhile going home after the wedding ceremony.An inquiry has been ordered by Surat Range IG Rajkumar Pandian against the policeman who was involved in the incident.After an hour, the couple and other arrested members were released on bail.Inspector V H Jadeja and his teams were on night patrol in Valsad town on Tuesday. At 12.30 am they stopped three vehicles in which a couple and others were travelling.They were taken to the Valsad town police station and charged under IPC sections 188 (disobeying a police order) and 269 (disobeying a court order) (indulging in a negligent act which may spread the infection), The Indian Express reported.The arrested people included councillor and former president of Valsad municipality Rajesh Patel and his wife Meera Patel. It also included Vikash Patel, councillor of Valsad municipality.Rajesh Patel wrote to State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Surat Range IGP Rajkumar Pandian on Tuesday afternoon, urging that they take action against the Valsad town police station officers for their "inhuman behaviour."Rajesh Patel said that the date of the wedding was set a month ago, and the night curfew was announced just a few days ago. We asked the cops to let the couple go home, but they refused, Rajesh Patel said.Amid a surge in daily COVID-19 infections, the Gujarat government had announced a night curfew and other restrictions in major cities in a bid to contain the virus spread.A night curfew between 10 pm and 6 am had been imposed in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Anand, and Nadiad, according to the state government.
In a rare incident, a bride and groom who were returning from their wedding party at 11.30 pm were detained by the patrolling police in Valsad for violation of curfew timings. The couple was released after four hours but the incident has angered local people. The bride and the groom along with 10 others accompanying them were detained.The marriage was being held in the family of former Valsad corporator Raju Marcha, who was among those detained. According to Marcha, the wedding timings and date had been decided before the change in night curfew timings, and invitations had been sent out. The wedding rituals were completed well within time and they were entering Valsad when the police stopped them, he said.The groom Piyush Patel said, “The police treated us badly. We were a litte late but apologised for that. Our family requested the police to spare the bride and groom but they were unrelenting. We were made to sit in the police station till 2 am.”Range IG of South Gujarat Rajkumar Pandian told Mirror, “Relationship between the people and police are important. Valsad SP Zala has been asked to take action against the responsible police personnel after investigating the incident.”On the other hand, sources said police have allegedly not taken any action over the wedding of the daughter of popular Surat builder Badshah, despite violation of all Covid guidelines. The wedding was well attended by central ministers, MPs, state ministers and MLAs apart from top officials of the police and other departments. The wedding band on the occasion itself included 150 persons and all guidelines for organising a wedding had allegedly been ignored. This has irked local people.
VALSAD: A newly-wed couple and their family members were arrested in Gujarat's Valsad for allegedly violating the night curfew, which has been enforced in several cities to contain the spread of coronavirus, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday night when the couple, still in their wedding attire, and their family members travelling in three cars were intercepted on an overbridge around 12.20 am, deputy superintendent of police Manojsinh Chavda said. While the couple claimed that they were made to spend nearly two hours at Valsad city police station on their wedding night, police officials said the duo and their family members were let go once the legal process was completed. Piyush Patel (24), his wife Sonal, along with a driver, were in one car, while other members of the Patel family were in two other cars, an official said, adding that three FIRs were registered in this regard. "As they could not give a satisfactory answer for roaming about during the night curfew between 10 pm and 6 am, all nine persons were taken to the police station. We lodged FIRs against them and allowed them to go as they were granted bail from the police station itself at night," Chavda said. As per the FIRs, the couple and seven others were booked under sections 188 (disobeying police order) and 269 (indulging in a negligent act which may spread the infection) of the IPC and relevant provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, it was stated. Following the ordeal, Patel, a resident of Tariyawad area of Valsad, told reporters that the police should have shown a lenient approach after finding out that his family was returning home after the wedding. "Due to such strict action, my wife fell ill today. Since the date, venue and time of my wedding was fixed weeks before the curfew rule came into force, we couldn't return to Valsad before 10 pm. Instead of understanding the situation, we were taken to the police station and made to spend nearly two hours there," Patel said.
Night curfew extended from 10 pm to 6 am in ten major cities: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Anand and NadiadClasses 1 to 9in schools to go completely onlineCompetitive and admission tests to be held under strict Covid protocolsup to 400 people can gather for political, social, educational, cultural and religious events in open space. Enclosed venues to operate at 50% capacity with upper limit of 400 people.Hotels and restaurants will stay open till 10 pm, but home deliveries of food will be allowed till 11 pmShops, shopping complexes, roadside vendors, Gurjari/haats, saloons, spa and beauty parlours, commercial establishments to remain open till 10pmCinema halls, gyms, swimming pools, libraries, water parks, auditoriums, assembly halls and other entertainment places to operate with 50% capacityPublic parks and gardens to close at 10 pm.Audience won’t be allowed for sports activity in stadiums100 persons to be allowed in funeralsNarendra SomaniPresident of Hotel and RestaurantAssociation of GujaratSurge in Covid cases has spread fear affecting restaurant business by 40%. Imposition of night curfew from 10 pm will further affect it by 30%. About 90% of wedding events like sangeet and reception have been cancelled till date.Rakesh PatelDirector, Wide Angle MultiplexWe welcome the state government’s decision to extend curfew hours and operate multiplexes at 50% capacity as it’s in the public interest. As such there have been no new movie releases for two weeks due to the rise in Covid cases.
Gandhinagar: A day after postponing the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) and other mega events due to the spurt in Covid-19 cases, the government announced further curbs on Friday.The start of the night curfew has also been advanced to 10pm from 11pm and it will end at 6am every day. Two more towns — Nadiad and Anand — have been added to the list of cities where night curfew is being imposed.The new guidelines come into force from Saturday and will remain till January 15, the government said.In a major announcement, the government said in-person school for Classes 1 to 9 will be stopped till January 31.The Hotels and Restaurants Association, Gujarat, on Thursday made a representation to the government, asking that home delivery be allowed till 11pm. “We are thankful to the government for not changing the rules regarding weddings and other social gatherings and allowing home delivery until late in the night,” said Narendra Somani, president of HRA, Gujarat.Aditya Shah, CFO of a city mall said while case numbers are very high and malls have been bracing for a reduction in footfalls, it is a good decision to not completely close malls and retail outlets. “It will help retail outlets and other establishments sustain themselves in these trying times,” he said.
